THE UDIS

Among modern-day Caucasian peoples the Udis are considered to be one of
the most ancient. The Udis are referred to in the works of the classical
authors. They are mentioned in the lists of the Serir and Old Albanian
peoples and tribes, and they are mentioned by Herodotus, Strabo, Titus
Livius, Tacitus, Pliny the Elder and Ptolemy. According to the classical
authors, the Udis inhabited the area of the eastern Caucasus along the
coast of the Caspian Sea, and occupied a territory extending to the River
Kuba in the north. The Udis have also been recorded as living in the foothills
of the Caucasus. Nowadays, only a tiny fragment of this illustrious and
ancient tribe survives. Under present administrative regulations, there
are three Udi villages each belonging to a different administrative unit:
Vartashen and Nidj are in Azerbaijan, in the districts of Vartashen and
Kutkashen, and the village of Oktomber (formerly Zinobiani) in Georgia,
in the district of Quareli. The neighbours of the Udis are the peoples
of the Shakhdag language group in Azerbaijan (Kryz, Budukhs and Khinalugs),
the Azerbaijanis themselves and, the Tush and Georgians in Georgia.

The Udi language is believed to be the most archaic of the Dagestan languages
spoken today, and therefore one of the most investigated Caucasian languages.
It was through Udi that the Old Albanian inscriptions found in Mingchaur
were decoded. The Udi language belongs to the Lezgi-Samur, southeastern
group of the Dagestan languages and it is divided into two dialects, Vartashen
and Nidj. The differences are in phonetics and morphology. During its centuries-long
development, the Udi vocabulary has made numerous loans from other languages,
the greatest influences today being Russian, Azerbaijani and Georgian.
The Udis have no written language of their own, but instead use Russian
or Georgian.

The population of the Udis has been recorded since the late 19th century
-- they were counted as a separate nation in all of the censuses in the
Soviet Union. In the data from 1926, the Udis that had migrated into Georgia
were not taken into account. The percentage of native speakers and the
Udis living in Georgia are also given.

native speakers

Udis living in Georgia

1897

4,000

1926

2,500

1959

3,678

92.6 %

476

1970

5,919

93.5 %

427

1979

6,863

89.9 %

321

1989

7,971

85.7 %

93

Religion. The Udis are Christians. The inhabitants of the villages of Vartashen
and Oktomber are Orthodox, those of Nidj belong to the Gregorians. The
former conduct their services in Georgian, the latter in Armenian. The
exact time Christianity was adopted is unknown, but it must have taken
place in between the 5th and 8th centuries. The influence of Zoroastrism,
which was present in Udi society before Christianity because of close contacts
with Persia, is apparent even nowadays. Some features characteristic of
heathenism also remain.

Anthropologically the Udis belong to the Caucasian type of the Balkano-Caucasian
race, characterized by relatively light pigmentation and a massive skull.
Classical authors describe Old Albanians, Udis included, as fair-haired
and grey-eyed.

As mentioned above, the Udis are mentioned in the written sources of antiquity
among the 26 tribal groups of the Ancient Caucasus. After the end of the
Old Albanian state, in the 4th century, the Udis for centuries were robbed
and ruled by foreign conquerors. Over the following 15 centuries, the Arabs,
Turks and Persians came in succession to plunder and subjugate. Apart from
the threat of death, the danger of assimilation became increasingly acute.
Only an insignificant part of the once numerous and powerful nation of
the Udis managed to remain intact. Before their incorporation into Russia
in the first half of the 19th century, the Udis were part of the Khanate
of Kuba.

The development of the economic life of the Udis was influenced by the
environment they inhabited -- mountain areas, which were most favourable
to seasonal animal-breeding. The abundance of mountain pastures and the
living conditions in the mountains were best suited to raising smaller
horned animals such as sheep and goats. Cattle and horses were raised for
domestic use. The shortage of arable land made it unprofitable to engage
in large-scale land cultivation. Some tillage was undertaken but the primitive
technology and techniques used produced a low and insufficient yield. Additional
food had to be purchased from the people on the plains. The usual crops
were wheat, maize, and rice. Horticulture, over time, grew in popularity
too (grapes, tobacco). Lesser occupations were hunting and gathering wild
crops (chestnuts, nuts).

The 20th century brought new social movements and ideas into the life of
the Udis. Several all-Caucasian nationalist and separatist organizations
and groups emerged. The Udis had no direct independence movement but took
an active part in the social life of the Caucasus. Striving for independence
brought them against the imperial forces (Denikin's army, the 11th Red
Army) but this was beyond the power of the Caucasians, and so, after four
years of depleting struggles they submitted to the Bolsheviks. In the turbulent
period around 1920, a part of the Udis emigrated to Georgia. Unrest and
instability in the Caucasus continued until the late 1930s, when, in the
process of collectivization, the Soviet regime succeeded in liquidating
or silencing all nationalist elements. This extended to the Udi society.
After World War II the actions of the central administration were of a
more peaceful nature, and the main stress was put on ideological propaganda
and the spiritual subordination of the people. This aim was served by schooling,
the mass media and cultural activities directed by the central administration.

Centuries of life in the sphere of Azerbaijani culture has profoundly influenced
the Udi culture and mentality. The Azerbaijani influence is noticeable
in Udi folk traditions, as well as in the material culture. More recently,
a conspicuous intrusion of elements of Soviet culture has become apparent,
with the Azerbaijani culture acting as intermediary. At present, the national
costume is practically forgotten, and household items are constantly being
replaced by manufactured goods. Year by year, Soviet customs and notions
have been integrated into folk traditions and customs. All things old and
traditional is mocked by schools and social institutions (cinema, clubs,
propaganda).

The most painful issue nowadays is the survival and usage of the mother
tongue in Udi society. As illustrated earlier, so far, the percentage of
native speakers is still quite high. However, the absence of a written
language and the foreign-language schooling may gradually erode this. Nowadays
the Udis in Azerbaijan are being educated in Russian, and in Georgia, in
Georgian.

The rate of urbanization has risen constantly. From 1959 to 1970, it increased
tenfold (in 1959, 70 Udis lived in towns, whereas in 1970 the number was
735). If the percentages of urban and rural native speakers are compared
(in 1970, 82 % urban, 98 % rural), then it is apparent, that urbanization
is another factor detrimental to the Udi nation. Urban life isolates a
resettled people from the native cultural environment and the result is
a change of mentality and a weakening of national identity.